Thursday, December 25, 2008

Curried Fruit Compote

I was really intrigued by this recipe I found from the March 2002 Food & Wind Magazine. The recipe from Tony Hill combines the sweetness of fruit with a Madras curry powder. I made a few changes to the recipe by using fresh pears and using less curry powder. This compote could be made ahead and is good served with pork, turkey and angel food cake.

Bring the water to boil in a medium size saucepan. Pour 1/4 cup of the water into a glass measuring cup, add the cranberries and let soak until softened, about 10 minutes; strain.

Add the brown sugar and curry power into the saucepan with the remaining water and simmer until sugar has been dissolved. Add the pears and apple and simmer over moderate heat until tender, about 4 minutes.

In a food processor. puree 1/4 cup of the pears and apples with 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Stir the puree back into the sauce pan, Add the cranberries and serve the compote warm or at room temperature.